Aecon wins contract to upgrade Alberta’s busiest highway
The two contracts add up to $615 million.
Key Takeaways:
- The work is split into two contracts that total $615 million.
- The scope of work includes the construction of additional lanes, seven new bridges, and improvements to ramps and interchanges.
- Since the road’s initial construction in the 1970s, Calgary’s population has doubled
The Whole Story:
Aecon has been selected to upgrade Alberta’s busiest highway.
The company announced that Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors chose them to deliver the Deerfoot Trail Improvements project in Calgary under two contracts with an aggregate value of $615 million.
The company has been selected as the preferred proponent for the $595 million design and construction of improvements to Deerfoot Trail from Douglasdale Boulevard to north of Glenmore Trail. The scope of work includes the construction of additional lanes, seven new bridges, and improvements to ramps and interchanges.
The job is expected to last until the fourth quarter of 2027.
Aecon has also been awarded a $20 million contract for the construction of improvements at Beddington Trail Northwest and 11th Street Northeast, including adding an additional lane in the north and southbound directions, and constructing a ramp to connect 11th Street with Deerfoot Trail North and Beddington Trail.
“We look forward to bringing our experience delivering large scale transportation projects to improve the safety, mobility and capacity of this important corridor,” said Jean-Louis Servranckx, president and CEO of Aecon Group. “This project will benefit growing communities and we are pleased to expand our relationship with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors.”
Since the road’s initial construction in the 1970s, Calgary’s population has doubled, more people have access to vehicles, and traffic volumes have continued to increase.
According to the province, 2019 saw the average weekday traffic volumes were 93,000 vehicles/day at Stoney Trail SE and 190,000 vehicles/day at Memorial Drive. Improvements are needed to bring the road’s capacity closer to the current and projected traffic demands, as well as improve the safety and reliability of the transportation corridor.